Turns out I have no greater pleasure in life than walking
into a store and giving a cheerful, “Bonjour!!” as is the custom here. I feel
like I’m about to break out into song from Beauty and the Beast.
I’m currently on the train heading to the airport. I’m
trying to quick get all my thoughts out of my fingers now, because I know that
history has proven I’m not likely to post anything (except maybe a video) once
I’m home.
We’ve spent the last few days in Belgium. We’ve eaten fries
everyday (no regrets), and had our fair share of waffles, chocolate, and beer.
Fun fact: “French fries” are actually Belgian. Americans were first exposed to
them in the French speaking part of Belgium during WWII, and so the name was
acquired.
I’m not sure where to start, so I guess I’ll go
chronologically.
YPRES
Our first day in Belgium, we took off for the Western side
of the country. There is apparently an Abbey that brews the best beer in the world,
and considering who I’m married to, this was not an opportunity we were going
to pass up. The only problem is, it’s an
abbey rather in the middle of no where. . . with no public transportation. So
we trained to the nearest town, rented bikes, and hit the (tiny) road! I
really, really loved the bike ride through the back country. Little houses,
hops fields (vineyards?), and lots of open fields. It was really lovely to be
out there. We made a small detour to visit one of the WWI Flanders Fields cemeteries,
which was a unique experience. War feels far removed in the United States –
something that happens far away from home. But here there are reminders and
remembrances and remnants of war around every corner (which you’ll see more
throughout my post). I can’t help but think it influences the different ways we
approach war now.
Eventually, we did make it to the abbey, and we were able to
try the trappist beer that is only offered there. What is a trappist beer?
Well, I’m glad you asked. A trappist beer is any beer that is 1) brewed within
the abbey grounds, 2) by monks, 3) and the proceeds from which go only toward
funding the needs of the abbey or charity.
As could be expected, the beer was delicious. We also had
some (a lot) of abbey cheese, which was super yummy. And then we biked back to
the town.
On our train ride back, we stopped off at the WWI museum for
Flanders Fields. It was an interesting museum and taught me a lot about WWI I
didn’t know.
Ken’s Thoughts: I really enjoyed our time here. The city is beautiful, as is the countryside. And the adventure of biking out in the Belgian country to the trappist restaurant was a ton of fun. The beer at the abbey was exceptional, and I see why everyone loves it so much - as was the trappist beer float (like a rootbeer float). Combining that with the great WWI museum, this day really was a highlight of the trip for me. That's all my thoughts.
BRUSSELS
We spent the next day in the city of Brussels. We had a tour in the morning, and it was fun
to learn the history of the city. I had booked the tour via AirBnB, and
apparently nobody else did, so we ended up with a private tour! Our host was
knowledgeable and passionate about his city. The town square is beautiful –
even Victor Hugo said it’s the most beautiful square in the world. After the
tour, we went out for lunch (mussels & mussel pasta) and continued
exploring the city (and eating chocolate).
Ken's Thoughts: The tour with our guide was a ton of fun, and extremely informative. I really think that the Grand Place (town square) in Brussels is one of the prettiest places I've ever been. I really enjoyed all the food in Brussels, but I really want to highlight the fries, the chocolate, and the beer. All amazing. I think that's all my thoughts.
BASTOGNE
Then two days ago, we trained then bussed our way out to
Bastogne – where the WWII museum is and a monument to those who fought in the
Battle of the Bulge. Both of us had great uncles who fought in this battle, so
it seemed worth the trek. Honestly, I think we were expecting to take the three
hours to get out there, look around for a bit, then come back.
It turned out that the WWII museum there is INCREDIBLE. I
don’t think I’ve ever been in a better museum. Maybe equal – but never better.
And I don’t think I’ve ever been in a museum where I was as determined to read
every word. Luckily, Ken felt the same way (othewise it would have been a
frustrating trip for both of us). But we crept through the museum at a snail’s
pace and ended up spending about five hours there. Because of my major, books I’ve
read, etc. I know a lot about the concentration camp/”Final Solution” side of
the WWII. However, I don’t think I fully appreciated how woefully ignorant I
was about the rest of what was going on. What I loved about this museum is that they stared
their WWII museum with WWI, which is important to understand the political climate
of what lead into the Germans electing Hitler and all that followed. It was
also a super engaging museum – with audio and visual components, movies, and
things to interact with.
The focus of the museum (if you can even say that – since they
did such justice to the components surrounding it as well) was the Battle of
the Bulge. I had heard about the battle, but I didn’t understand what it was or
why it was important. I was so thankful to the museum for building out my
knowledge.
After we crept through the museum (seriously – so slowly),
we walked over to see the HUGE monument erected to the Americans who fought in
the battle. All the states were listed, as well as all of the companies (as in
military companies, not business companies) who contributed. I found my (great)
Uncle Murray’s company. It’s strange to remember that this all what’s that this
all wasn’t that long ago.
Ken’s Thoughts: Bastogne had one of the best museums, if no the best museum, I've ever been to. I've never read every panel in a museum, nor have I ever had the interest to, but I couldn't get enough of the information there. If you are ever in Belgium and have any interest in WWI or WWII history, I couldn't recommend a trip out to Bastogne higher. It was also really nice seeing how the local town still really appreciated the sacrifice of all the soldiers that fought to defend that area. I also thought that the monument erected there in honor of the soldiers that fought in the Battle of the Bulge was really tastefully done. It all really was beautiful, respectful, and informative. Also, the Ardennes forest was really beautiful - the surrounding countryside. I think that's all my thoughts.
BRUGES
There’s not much to say about Bruges. We went yesterday, and
it’s a lovely little medieval city with moats, canals, and beautiful old
buildings. We were glad to have gone early, because before too long, it was
full of tourists to an overwhelming degree (yes, I know we we’re tourists too).
Once the town got too full, we headed home (to Brussels).
Ken’s Thoughts: Bruges is really quaint and pretty. It's lovely to just walk around there. I found a half day in Bruges to be the perfect amount, personally. Shout out to the delicious pasta on the go shop we stumbled across. I think that's all my thoughts.
ENDING THOUGHTS
And now – here we are. Now at the airport, ready to head
home. Maybe not ready to head home,
but waiting to head home nonetheless. I’m holding down the fort and watching
our stuff right now while Ken goes off looking for something in the stores.
Then we’ll swap, and I’ll forage for a book in English to read on the plane.
That’s one of the things I love about travel – the chance to slow down and read.
I’m nearly done with the one I’m reading, and by the time I’ve finished that, I
will have read five novels since we left home. I feel like I’ve lived as many
lives.
This has been a fantastic trip. I love any time I get to
spend with Ken, and it’s especially fun when it’s in new territory. I could
probably write more – more thoughts about where we went, or how thankful I am
to not care about my Instagram (it’s
looks like an exhausting pressure while traveling!), or how I don’t feel brave
to be traveling without a phone – as people called me. But instead, I think I’m
going to call it good.
Thanks for reading!
